Saving My Favorite in a Doomed World – Chapter 106

Author: rolypoly

– Hyungnim, are you by any chance interested in appearing on a broadcast? It’s nothing terribly troublesome, but we’re putting together a special interview this time. Really, really, you don’t have to feel burdened at all, Hyungnim, and just one hour with Cha Jaeha-ssi! If you could give us just exactly one hour, that would be perfect.

– An interview?

– Yes, yes. There’s a senior PD I know, and he’s absolutely dying to have you on, Hwashin-hyungnim. If possible, it’d be great if the SH Unit members came on together to convey information about heroes to the public and appeal with a friendly image.

– Hold on a moment.

It wasn’t long before Hwashin asked a question.

– What’s the schedule like?

– The s-schedule? Ah, for that, of course we have to match your time. You’re people who work for the citizens, after all. I’ll send you the proposal first, so please read it over, talk it over with the others, and let me know. We’re really okay whenever, Hyungnim

< Title: Wise Hero Life ~ Meeting the SH Unit ~ >

It’s a title he has heard many times before.

‘Planning Intention… sharing hero information and narrowing the gap between the public and heroes…’

It’s not bad. The timing is good, too.

‘It’s around the time when something stimulating is needed anyway.’

A pair of round eyes full of curiosity looked up at Hwashin.

“Ppii?”

Hwashin, picking up Ppii’s long body in his arms, asked with a smile.

“Our Ppii, shall we try being on a broadcast together with me?”

“Ppii! Ppii!”

Then, Riel’s indifferent voice poked at his ear.

– The guy who was just talking about the Hellscape is now leisurely blabbering about a broadcast?

‘You sure worry a lot.’

Because it’s this exact point in time, he needs to get on a broadcast at least once. It is absolutely, definitely not to satisfy my personal desire. It’s absolutely not because I want to see the Unit 1 kids caught on a broadcast camera, or because I want to screenshot that and post it on social media.

– …Haa.

….I said it’s not!

Whir. Not long after Ha Cheongwon left, Hwashin also exited the private room with Ppii. Preparation was needed for the Hellscape, which was still half a year away.

***

“The Elusive Hwashin.” “Everywhere-at-once Yoo Hwashin.” The timing when such nicknames began to stick was around the same time rumors spread that Hwashin had secured an interview for the SH Unit. The reason such rumors spread within the Association was simple. True to his nicknames, he scoured the Association like Hong Gildong. Hwashin was everywhere, yet he was nowhere.

Researcher A of the GRC thought as he searched for the data Hwashin requested.

‘They said he was scouring the Association, but how did he end up all the way here?’

GRC. The Gate Research Center, which receives national support. The number of monsters that had undergone research at this center totaled over 200 species. Of course, it was rare for Heroes to go around memorizing the names given by scholars.

Nevertheless, relevant research was actively progressing at the GRC. They were the ones who classified monster species before anyone else and individually named them with scientific names based on their characteristics. The reasons for identifying monster individuals were diverse. However, the core among them was to identify commonalities or differences through the individual’s hair quality, the shape of the beak, the number of teeth, and the size of the pupils to figure out their habitats.

Sometimes, hypotheses circulated on anonymous American sites that the origin of the Gates was Mars and that the unidentified lifeforms, the monsters, were all aliens, but Korea did not accept this.

“Excuse me….”

He turned his gaze toward the unwelcome guest who had been frequenting the GRC lately.

“Have you finished reading?”

Researcher A, holding an armful of research data, asked. Because the height of the pile of documents he held was so high, the person he addressed didn’t enter his field of vision.

The man who had spent the night here swept his disheveled silver hair back.

“Almost. Is this monster called ‘Akebia’ the exact same guy Cha Jaeha burned entirely on the rooftop?”

“Ah, the Akebia species. Yes, yes, that’s right. It was a peculiar monster characterized by its thick vines.”

“What about the rank?”

“The monster individual’s rank itself was rated as A-rank-1. The Akebia monster you encountered that day was probably a multiple individual where several of them merged together. For Akebia alone, creating plant dolls or growing to that extent is impossible, so it was insufficient to attach an S-rank.”

Thud. Researcher A, who had placed the pile of documents on the desk with a loud noise, poked his face out and replied. The research file Hwashin held out contained the attributes and disposal methods for the Akebia test subjects.

Hwashin replied as if satisfied with the detailed answer.

“You’ve investigated quite a lot. I thought Cha Jaeha had burned it all that day.”

“He did burn almost everything, but some remained behind the warehouse. We brought that in and analyzed it.”

“So. What’s the most important conclusion?”

….Conclusion? The most important thing?

Wh-what is that. Isn’t what I’ve said so far the end?

In the first place, you’re not even a researcher, so why are you tossing such a sharp question? He had a lot he wanted to say, but in the end, he couldn’t voice it. Only after rolling his brain for a long while did Researcher A, who realized something, slowly open his mouth.

“The…. the conclusion is… well, that the predicted habitat of the ‘Akebia’ is marshland. After all, it’s difficult for this kind of plant to grow unless it’s in an atmosphere or soil damp with moisture. We predict that the monster also originated from a similar environment. Currently, in the case of plant-type monsters, we are researching whether they can be grown using their seeds if even a portion of them remains. …..Would this be a sufficient answer?”

“It’s good.”

Phew. He bought it. It’s not like I’m reporting to the Center Director or anything. Researcher A lifted his high-prescription glasses up and down once.

‘I heard he was just an ordinary civil service department employee.’

From the press conference, he thought the guy was a madman, but he didn’t expect him to barge into the research center. Hasn’t it been less than a week since he returned from Russia? Researcher A asked a question on a whim while classifying the piled-up documents by individual and by habitat.

“By the way, aren’t you busy? From what I know, I heard an interview request came in from a broadcasting station.”

Right, that interview. The entire Association was buzzing, saying the SH1 Unit might go on a broadcast as a complete group for the first time. This was because the entire team felt like Heroes among Heroes, stars among stars.

‘The reaction on the hero community was crazy, too.’

“Right, I have to go on that, too. I want to, but the rest of the kids haven’t given their permission yet.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Instead of answering the researcher’s reaction, Hwashin took his eyes off the data and thrust his phone screen forward. It was the SH1 Unit’s group chat.

[ Jianie : Oh? I’m down. But didn’t they only invite you guys? Can I join too? ]

[ Mueum Jeong : But do we really have to go on this? I’ll think about it for a bit. ]

[ Cha Jaeha : Why that? ]

[ Lee Suho : If Hyung likes it, I like it too ^^ ]

“I see. ….I thought everyone was confirmed.”

“I’m waiting for them to say they will. I’ll definitely get their permission, so there’s nothing to worry about specifically, and I just came by to investigate things to look into while I’m free before the interview. You heard the news that Ha Cheongwon-ssi would be sending a request for cooperation here, right?”

“Ah, yes. I heard. A document arrived a few days ago.”

“Since he is putting in that much effort, I couldn’t just sit still either.”

Hwashin smiled broadly.

‘When he smiles like that, he looks like just a kind person.’

Riel asked Hwashin, who was tilting his chair with a ballpoint pen stuck between his philtrum and nose.

– I’m asking again, but is it really okay for you to be this leisurely? Truly? You said the Hellscape will unfold soon. I don’t know, shouldn’t you be training or something? I’m dying of frustration. You should fulfill your selfish desires in moderation.

‘I’m not being leisurely; I’m conducting data research, and I’m not doing something useless; I’m doing something necessary.’

The core of the Hellscape lies in where the Hells come from. Based on the flow so far, there was a high possibility that the Freaks would interfere starting from the first Hell, the Hell of Falsehood. No, at this point, it’s a certainty. If that’s the case, it’s impossible to prepare for the future simply by having read the original work. It’s not like I can find a Red Gate that isn’t even open right now and bring back items.

All I could do was ‘amass knowledge’ and ‘fill in the parts that were lacking in the original.’

– Just what are you planning to do?

Riel, just look forward to it. Because I will present the exact plot development you guys love the most.

Hwashin, who had been tilting his chair, suddenly leaned forward and asked a question.

“Also, there’s one thing I need to check.”

“Ah, yes, yes.”

“Then this would be….”

Researcher A thought as he approached Hwashin. This man, the things he asks are no joke. They are incredibly numerous and detailed. Does he have experience working as a researcher somewhere? Or did he get a master’s or doctoral degree? He shouldn’t be at that age. He’s twenty-five.

Hwashin, who heard A’s brief explanation, pointed his finger at two words written in the research process.

“Then the ‘Night Bat’ and ‘Kupala’ that came out of the recent A-rank Gate would have been discovered mainly in forest regions.”

“Pardon? ….Uh, research on that hasn’t finished yet. May I ask why you think that?”

Hwashin, wearing round, thin-rimmed glasses, tilted his chair.

“Because these are guys I’ve seen often.”

“Pardon?”

“Just kidding.”

Hwashin smirked. He pointed to a photo of a Night Bat. It had a shape resembling a bat, but the excessively swollen belly, the sturdy wings to support it, and the thick shark-like fangs protruding outward clearly showed the difference.

“When observing the shape of the Night Bat’s wings or belly, there isn’t much hair, right? There are research results stating that these types of monsters mainly inhabit regions without many seasonal changes. The basis is a thesis titled ‘Ecological Characteristics of Monsters Highly Likely to Inhabit Forest Areas’ sandwiched among that stack of documents, and it will come out if you look for it.”

“O-Oh.”

Researcher A hurriedly rummaged through the pile of documents. Was there such a paper? He felt like there might have been.

“The Kupala is a monster that would likely appear in all regions rather than just forest regions. You can tell just by looking, but rather than having characteristic parts in its human-like appearance, it’s better to judge it as being similar to a person. Though it has one eye, and the positions of the molars and canines are swapped. Now, having heard the explanation this far…. what would it be?”

What would it be?

Uh, that.

“…..That the Kupala was in the same region where the Night Bat lives?”

“Correct. As expected, a GRC researcher is smart.”

No, it’s not that I’m smart; it’s that you are smart. Researcher A looked at him with a dazed face.

“But rather than the name ‘Kupala’…”

Hwashin tapped the corner of the desk with his index finger. This monster named ‘Kupala.’ He had a memory of seeing it somewhere. No, it wasn’t just a memory; he had definitely seen it.

“The name ‘Akham’ would suit it better.”

‘The Akham Clan.’ It was a non-human race that was called that in the place where Hwashin used to live.

***

“Uuuugh.”

Coming out of the GRC, Yoo Hwashin stretched widely. He was tired. Was it because he rolled his brain after a long time. Gripping his shoulder blade and rotating his arm, Hwashin peered into the message window that had piled up until now. Yoo Jian said it was possible if the other kids said okay. Mueum would fall for it if coaxed.

The problem is Cha Jaeha. Tap-tap-tap. Hwashin typed quickly as if he had made up his mind.

[ Hey, Cha Jaeha. Cha Jaeha. Cha Jaeha. Cha Jaeha. Cha Jaeha. ]

[ Cha Jaeha. ]

[ Jaeha-ya, you didn’t register my number as spam, did you? ]

[ Jaeha-ya. ]

This event presented by Kang San was absolutely necessary to overturn the flow of the original work.

Right.

– Isn’t Yoo Hwashin seriously crazy? ;;;

– Please block that person’s mouth during the interview, this is live, right?

ㄴ Yeah, yeah, it’s live ㅋㅋㅋㅋ What a lunatic ㅋㅋㅋ He’s the greatest crazy Hero of all time

– No, but did he say anything wrong?? It’s all true though ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Yeah, the waste of taxes was legendary ㅠ

ㄴ ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I bet he’s done more than you wasting air after eating meals~